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How many calories to eat to lose weight

How to set a deficit you can stick to, what to expect each week, and when to change it.

Written by Updated 8 min read

To lose weight, eat about 250–500 calories a day less than your maintenance calories (TDEE). A 500-calorie deficit typically gives about 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss a week at first. For a 40-year-old man who weighs 95 kg, is 178 cm tall and is lightly active, maintenance is about 2,570 calories, so his weight-loss target is about 2,070. Set your own deficit with the cutting calorie calculator, or start with the TDEE calculator.

Infographic: How many calories to eat to lose weight. Aim for 0.5–1% of body weight a week. Keep protein high.
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Choosing your deficit

Daily deficitRough weekly loss at firstBest for
250 caloriesAbout 0.25 kg (0.5 lb)Smaller or leaner people, or anyone who wants it easy to stick to
500 caloriesAbout 0.5 kg (1 lb)Most people
750–1,000 caloriesAbout 0.7–0.9 kg (1.5–2 lb)Larger people with a high maintenance; short periods only

A useful rule of thumb is a weekly loss of 0.5–1% of your body weight. Faster than that for long periods tends to cost muscle and makes the diet harder to keep. How big should your calorie deficit be? goes deeper.

Worked examples

Man, 40, 95 kg, 178 cmBMR = 950 + 1,112.5 − 200 + 5 = 1,868. Sedentary maintenance: 2,241. Lightly active: 2,568. A 500-calorie deficit gives targets of about 1,740 (sedentary) or 2,070 (light). Choosing the right activity level changes his target by more than 300 calories.
Woman, 55, 70 kg, 160 cm, sedentaryMaintenance is about 1,517. A 500-calorie cut would leave about 1,017, which is too low to meet her nutrient needs. A 250-calorie deficit (about 1,270) is more realistic, and adding regular walking lifts her maintenance to about 1,738, so she can eat about 1,490 and still lose.

What to expect week by week

  • Week 1: often a bigger drop, much of it water and stored carbohydrate.
  • Weeks 2–8: a steadier rate close to your deficit.
  • Later: slower, because a smaller body burns fewer calories. Research by Kevin Hall at the US National Institutes of Health showed weight loss follows a curve, not a straight line.

Track progress as a percentage of your starting weight with the weight loss percentage calculator. A sustained loss of 3–5% already brings measurable health benefits.

Protect your muscle

Keep protein high, about 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight, and keep strength training. Both help most of what you lose come from fat. How much protein do you need? has the numbers.

When weight loss stalls

  1. Compare weekly averages over at least 2–3 weeks, not single days.
  2. Check your logging: oils, drinks and weekend meals are the usual gaps.
  3. Recalculate with your new weight. Every 4–5 kg lost lowers your maintenance.
  4. If all else is right, reduce by 100–200 calories, or add daily steps.

Why your TDEE drops as you lose weight explains the plateau in detail.

Pick a deficit and see your daily calories and macros.

Open the cutting calculator

Frequently asked questions

How many calories should I eat to lose 1 lb a week?
About 500 fewer than your maintenance calories each day. That adds up to roughly 3,500 calories a week, the old estimate for 1 lb of fat. In practice, loss slows over time as your body gets smaller, so recalculate every 4–5 kg.
How many calories do I need to lose 2 lb a week?
Roughly 1,000 below maintenance. That is only suitable for people with a lot of weight to lose and a high maintenance; for most people it is too aggressive to sustain and makes it harder to keep muscle.
What is the minimum I should eat?
There is no single safe floor for everyone, but many guidelines suggest not going below about 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 for men without medical supervision.
Why have I stopped losing weight?
Usually because your maintenance has dropped as you lost weight, or because portions and snacks have crept up. Check your weekly average weight over 2–3 weeks, then recalculate. See why your TDEE drops.

Keep reading

How big a deficit?Fast versus sustainable.Weight loss % calculatorTrack progress the way doctors do.7-day diet planWhat 1,600 calories looks like.

Sources

  1. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826–837. PubMed 21872751
  2. Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S102–S138. PubMed 24222017
  3. Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20. PubMed 24864135
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Losing Weight: gradual, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds per week. cdc.gov.